Help Shape Fosi Audio's Upcoming K7 DAC AMP with Your User Demands!

[Fosi Audio]

Maybe not for this product if it's hard to add at this stage of development, but one feature to consider in the future that still seems to be missing outside of power amplifiers is subwoofer output.
I've checked your website and saw you already make quite a variety of power amplifiers that include subwoofer output, so I think you should have the know-how for it already.
Either a DAC, preamp, or a combo unit like this one would be good - with a defeatable high pass for mains and low pass for sub out, either set at 80Hz or adjustable in software. Not a fan of physical controls like in some of your power amplifiers, but if they were precise and well labelled that's fine too.
This is a niche that's really quite unfulfilled, as anyone wanting to integrate a sub with their powered monitors either has to rely on subwoofers with appropriate pass through, or invest in expensive multi-channel DACs.

Speaking of power amplifiers, we are developing a new model which is similar to what you described. We'll post a thread to discuss with you then.

 

[Timmeon]

@Fosi Audio Have you considered further developing your brand? Not only your logo but developing a design system that can scale as your product lines expand. Think Pro-Ject Box.

This would influence your UI too. Easy to screw up, and deceivingly difficult to do well. Clean, consistent type. Simple, intuitive interfaces. Some of your newer offerings are improving (BT20A Pro), but the previous BT20A looks cheap, unnecessarily so.

 

[Fosi Audio]

@Fosi Audio Have you considered further developing your brand? Not only your logo but developing a design system that can scale as your product lines expand. Think Pro-Ject Box.

This would influence your UI too. Easy to screw up, and deceivingly difficult to do well. Clean, consistent type. Simple, intuitive interfaces. Some of your newer offerings are improving (BT20A Pro), but the previous BT20A looks cheap, unnecessarily so.

Thank you for your great advice. Brand development is one of the key missions we focus on this year.

 

[ahofer]

My dream product brings together the multi-service streaming capability of a Cambridge Audio streamer (or at least Roon with Volume), the dynamic loudness,staged volume, and EQ of an RME ADI-2 DAC, and a purifi amp. Simple!

 

[robwpdx]

I would forget the treble and bass controls. Put a lightweight linux in the box and provide a parametric EQ plugin. You could put the GUI on a touchscreen, or in an app communicating with the box by bluetooth. A deluxe version could stack plugins.

 

[Alex.san]

It would be really cool if you paired your future amplifier with the Wiim like the T10 model. With proper design of a digital-analog path with an amplifying part V3 (or similar), this would be a market killer.

 

[jaatre]

@Fosi Audio : This is an excellent looking product compared to the usual designs.

Here are a few things that will make this more special:
1. Include true balanced TRS outputs (as XLR ports will increase height of product)
2. Make ESS chip version too if possible (maybe 9038Q2M or 9068AS chip)
3. Avoid MQA to keep product cost low (license fees for that "feature" is a waste in my opinion)
4. Use OLED display instead of LCD to lower the cost further. No one stares at LCD screens on a DAC or amp for hours
5. Make sure that the headphone amp is rated at 1W per channel at 16 ohms at 1%THD or less

As a reference, consider looking into SMSL C200, AL200, Topping DX5 lite for more ideas.

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

My dream product brings together the multi-service streaming capability of a Cambridge Audio streamer (or at least Roon with Volume), the dynamic loudness,staged volume, and EQ of an RME ADI-2 DAC, and a purifi amp. Simple!

What is a dynamic loudness?

 

[ahofer]

What is a dynamic loudness?

Loudness control that automatically adjusts to signal level. Read about it here:

Do any DACs apart from RME have equal-loudness features?

Hi all, hopefully the title is self explanatory. One of the features that attracts me to the RME-ADI2 DAC is the loudness feature, but I'm hoping there exists another DAC that also has this at a lower price. Does anyone know if such a device exists?

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Niconoclaste]

SMSL is doing a great job for the entry level. A copy/paste might not be the very best strategy to be attractive.

What about a trigger out for our beloved amps, and HDMI and/or a TWO optical input, on top of powerful (like > 1,5W @16ohms < 1% THD) SE and (in this case, not necessairly true) balanced headphones output (one of each should be enough) ?
A true balanced line output like 6,3mm TRS or XLR near 5V would be wonderful but with a consideration of the weight distribution in order to keep the DAC/amp stabilized despite heavy cables behind

All those features, below 250 USD MRSP (by going with an OLED basic screen, an AK4493, an ESS9038Q2M or a CS43131 and by avoiding MQA/High-Res and others bullshit certifications) it sounds like a dream !

Ok, cherry on the cake : why not a wifi UPNP/Airplay support ? Even below 300USD MRSP, this kind of all in one might be a way to be disruptive at this price point.

PS : si vous voyez ceci, @Audiophonics ce serait un grand plaisir également de voir votre talent une nouvelle fois à l'oeuvre

 

[Tom22]

You can also consider dual TRS connectors for balanced output instead of XLR in favor of space and aesthetics.

+1 on TRS!
And a 6,35mm headphone out if space allows.

A very interesting and attractive product.

I would leave out MQA to cut cost, and also Bluetooth (who uses BT for quality audio??).
And I never use tone controls…

 

[alexanderino]

Avoid MQA ...

I came here to request this. The SMSL PO100 AK has a sub-par frequency response at 44100 and 48000 fs, and that's directly due to its MQA support.

I would leave out ... Bluetooth (who uses BT for quality audio??)

Bluetooth using LDAC sounds perfectly fine — and I say this as someone who strongly prefers a wired connection. Even SBC at its highest bitrates isn't something I'd sneeze at.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

It would be nice to have preamp mode + remote control.

 

[Middle Earth]

Has to have a sub-out